Master and Padawan
by Ava Drake
Summary: Yoda wasn't always the calm and wise Grand Master he was known for. In fact, once, he was a Padawan... This is the story of young Yoda, and the trials he faced as a Padawan. What secrets does his new Master hide? And will she help him become the Jedi he is supposed to be?
1. The Council Meeting

**Heya. Okay so this is a Yoda fanfic.**

If you read that Galaxy magazine thingie about Yoda's origin (or like me looked it up on Wookieepedia) my story is set after Yoda leaves the swamp planet after being considered a proper Jedi.  
I've never read it, so my story may clash with the canon one.

If you haven't read it…same here! So it shouldn't matter really. I'm going to ignore it really. 

The members of the Council swapped looks as the Grand Master looked at the young green creature in front of him. He could sense great potential in the boy, potential which was not yet reached. Master Del Gormo believed him to be ready for being a Jedi, but Grand Master Tho'sur wasn't so sure. What the creature needed was a little more training. Master Del Gormo was a good teacher, but for real world experience, the boy would need a different teacher. A more worldly one. He smiled at the boy. He knew the perfect teacher.

The Grand Master let his eyes flicker back to the boy. He could sense the boy's discomfort.  
"I am not satisfied with Master Del Gormo's assessment," he said after a pause. Through the force, he felt a flicker of anger and confusion from the boy.  
Tho'sur frowned to himself. "To be able to be considered a Jedi, you must complete Padawan training. You have not properly done so. For us to accept you as a trained Jedi, you must be accepted to be trained by a Jedi Master."  
The boy looked back. "A Jedi Master, Master N'Kata Del Gormo was."  
Tho'sur inclined his head. "Del Gormo is indeed a Jedi Master. But he is retired, and has been a hermit for many, many years. To be fully tested, you will need a new Master."  
The boy blinked at him. "Me, a new master for?"  
The Grand Master inclined his head.  
"Who be, this new master?" the boy asked after a pause.  
"There is a Master I have in mind, but it seems she is, once again, late."  
Master Kicav gasped. "You don't mean…"  
Tho'sur tilted his head. "Master Drake is a fine Jedi."  
"I agree, but-"  
"But? Master Drake would be disappointed in your lack of faith."  
Kivac tutted.  
Master Zolo'q sighed. "She isn't going to like this."  
Tho'sur smiled. "It will be good for her." He paused. "If she even bothers to show up this time."  
As if on cue, the door suddenly opened, and a girl walked in. Her black hair was full of knots, and her skin and clothes were covered in small cuts and mud. She wiped at her face, while her other hand loosely held her lightsaber by her waist.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, "but as you can see," she gestured to her body, "I didn't even stop to get cleaned up."  
It was obvious to the boy that her lateness was a common occurrence. He frowned. This was to be his new teacher?  
"Please step into the center." Tho'sur said calmly.

The girl's eyes widened slightly as she complied. "Have I done something wrong?" she asked innocently, though her eyes clearly revealed, at least to Tho'sur, that she was searching her memory to figure out what had been discovered about her this time. Tho'sur gave her a real smile. Master Drake was a close friend of his; of several members of the Council. She may not be the perfect Jedi, but she had a good heart, and was completely reliable. And, when the mood hit her, she was wiser than all the Council put together. But those moments were far and in between; she preferred to act childish and roguish.  
"No."  
He paused, letting her worry for a few moments.  
She tilted her head, ignoring the boy in front of her. "So?"  
He raised a hand to indicate the boy. "This is Master N'Kata Del Gormo's Padawan."  
Drake frowned back. "So?"  
"We have determined that the boy needs further training." Short, simple and to the point. But Drake still didn't get it.  
"_So?" _she said again, letting her frustration seep into her voice.  
"I have decided that you are to be his new Master."  
"_What?! _Why!?"  
He tilted his head, as if confused. "But you have no padawan."  
"I know. Let's keep it that way."  
"Are you refusing my order?"  
She took a deep breath. "I really wish I could." She glared at him. "Fine then." She turned to the boy. "Come on then," she snapped, and turned, her muddy cape swirling around her feet, and departed.  
The boy looked back at Tho'sur, with a worried and confused look in his eye.  
Tho'sur nodded his approval, and the boy turned and hurried after his new master.  
"Is this wise?" Master Kishuv asked. "Drake is hardly the teaching type."  
"What the boy needs isn't more teaching, but more training." Tho'sur replied cryptically.  
Kivac sighed. "I'm worried about the boy."  
Zolo'q frowned. "I'm more worried about Drake."  
Master Saenus gave a laugh. "I'm not sure which to be worried about, to be honest. I think Drake's going to be a horrible influence on him. That poor boy."  
Tho'sur gave a laugh. "Maybe the boy will have a good influence on her." Nobody replied, and Tho'sur grinned. "Don't you trust me?"  
There was no answer.

The boy caught up with the woman, who turned her head to look down at him with a mix of disgust and annoyance. She frowned at him.  
"What are you supposed to be?" she asked.  
He frowned back. "Mean what, do you?"  
She raised an eyebrow. "What? No. Nevermind. Why aren't you a proper Jedi then, if you've already completed training?"  
"Know not, do I. More training required, Grand Master said."  
"Hmm." She ran a hand through her hair, then took it out, and looked at the mud-stained hand. She sighed and looked back at her new padawan. "Can you amuse yourself for an hour or two while I get cleaned up?"  
The boy nodded back. "Yes Master Drake."  
Drake frowned back. "Safia. My name is Safia. So call me Safia."  
The boy bowed back.  
She waited, then said, "So what's your name?"  
"Yoda, my name is." The boy said.  
Safia smiled back. "Nice to meet you Yoda," then walked away.


	2. Places

Safia used her towel to dry her hair, thinking over her new predicament. Just what she needed, a new padawan. She sighed and slipped into her fresh Jedi clothes. That was another thing, she thought to herself. She needed to get him Padawan robes. Do they even come in his size, she wondered as she slipped on her boots and rearmed herself. She then lay back on her bed and closed her eyes, trying to remember what she knew from her own experiences with padawans. She could not imagine that her having a padawan would do either of them any good. Yoda, she reminded herself. Hmm. He had already been trained by Master Del Gormo, right? So maybe she wouldn't need to do anything at all. Which would be great. Then they could go their separate ways and she could return to what she does best – saving people's lives in risky missions. She gave a groan. Until then, she was stuck with him.  
She sat up and made her way back to where she had left her padawan.  
"Safia!" called out a voice behind her.  
She turned. "Master Saenus! Hello again. Thanks for the support back in the council room."  
He gave her a smile. "You had it under control."  
She rolled her eyes at him. "What's up?"  
He handed her some clothes. "For your padawan."  
She grinned at him. "Thanks Saenus, I owe you one."  
"How about we just cancel out one of those debts I owe you?"  
"Sure." She turned back around. "Now I've got a padawan to train."

Yoda was sitting on a cushioned bench under a window, his hands intertwined on his lap. He was so small that when his back touched the wall, his feet didn't even reach over the edge. His eyes were closed. Safia felt her way through the force to him. He was focussed inward. She wondered if he was annoyed by the sudden change as she was. He was so concentrated on himself that he didn't notice her approach, even when she came and sat next to him. Maybe that was what Tho'sur meant. Too focussed inward to become a Jedi. If she had been a Sith, or any type of enemy really, would he have noticed her? Or would he be dead? Yep, she could see the problem. Some people were to focussed outward to find inner peace, and others were to focussed inward to be able to enjoy the outside world. There needed to be a balance, and he didn't seem to have it. She closed her eyes as well and moved into lotus position. What to do next? Ah. She needed to make a report to Tho'sur. But then what? How could she teach him? Classroom style? He was taught by Master Del Gormo, so he probably didn't have much classroom experience. Or fighting experience. Did he even have a lightsaber? She tutted lightly, causing Yoda to open his eyes and turn curiously to her. No classroom experience, she decided. He wanted to be a Jedi, he could act as her assistant. Her back-up. She dropped the pile of clothes on him and stood up.  
"Come on Yoda. We have places to be."

Yoda stood patiently behind Safia as she completed her report.  
Tho'sur nodded. "And yet you still didn't feel the need to call for back up?"  
She grinned. "No, no, you were all busy with your meeting. I'd hate to interrupt."  
He sighed at her. "You're just so…"  
"Cute? Yes I know." She paused. "By the way, I need a new mission."  
He perked up. "Really?" he gestured to Yoda. "I thought…"  
She shrugged. "To each his own. Have you got one?"  
Tho'sur nodded. "I suppose so."  
"Great. We'll get right on it."


	3. Travel

**A/N: Just realised how little I know about Star Wars starcraft. Bear with me, please. I've used what I know from Star Trek to fill in what I can. **

Safia looked at her padawan with a frown as they entered the cockpit of the spaceship and sat at the console, starting up the ship. She shook her head to herself as she steered the ship out of the docking bay and up to the bright skies. She closed her eyes for a second and allowed her mind a second of wandering. _This _was freedom, the endless skies and nothing, _nothing, _to hold her down. No rules, regulations, not even gravity would hold her down once she left the atmosphere. She smiled slightly as she skilfully navigated the ship to the open space she loved so dearly. She set in the co-ordinates to her new mission – one that seemed to be not all the hard, which she was a bit annoyed about, but if she was lucky there might be a fight or two. She grinned and wondered what Master Tho'sur would think of her bloodlust. She couldn't help it; it had been part of her dna since before she could remember. Her smile deepened.  
Her 'padawan' frowned up at her, and she let her Jedi Mask slip into place – a blank and expressionless look that commanded power. She had a reputation to protect, after all.  
"So, Yoda," she began, and then paused, wondering what one asks a new padawan. "Have you got a lightsaber?" She inwardly winced, but he didn't seem to notice. He nodded and pulled out a lightsaber from his new robes. She nodded once then looked back to the window, the stars rushing past them.  
There was a silence. Her mind began wandering again, through memories, making notes, slowly making plans. She'd need some sort of guideline to follow. She let her mind take over, though kept a close eye on the Force in case of anything unexpected. It had happened before. And it's not like she could depend on her padawan to keep an eye on anything. Trust was earnt, not given.  
She went so deep inside of herself that she didn't even notice the passing of hours, until her computer beeped to warn her of the imminent approach of their destination – a medium size planet in a solar system of twelve, with a single sun. Safia blinked as she looked over the orangey planet and sighed to herself. Her padawan started, he too had been in deep meditation. He looked around, a bit confused. She looked at him with disapproval. He hadn't learnt to keep a bond with the outside world. He looked vaguely embarrassed, but it was hard to tell with his species. Which was what? She opened her mouth to ask him, when the console beeped with news of an oncoming message.  
Safia let her Jedi Mask fall back.  
"Please state your business," the creature said.  
"This is Master Drake with the Jedi Council," Safia informed him.  
There was a pause. "Please direct your ship to these co-ordinates," the creature finally said, and the data poured onto her console.  
Safia nodded, and the link was broken.  
"Will do," she muttered, as she inputted the co-ordinates. She hated places like this. Except when it became dangerous. She let another smile slip across her face before hiding it again, and giving her new padawan a look. "Stay close, stay quiet." She commanded.  
The boy nodded back.


End file.
